As students return to school across Houston, drivers, parents, pedestrians, cyclists, and school bus passengers are once again sharing some of the busiest areas of our neighborhoods. Morning drop-offs and afternoon pickups can create heavy traffic, distracted driving, sudden stops, crowded crosswalks, and children entering or exiting roadways.
Unfortunately, it only takes a few seconds of driver inattention for a serious accident to occur.
School zone accidents can result in injuries to children, parents, teachers, crossing guards, cyclists, pedestrians, and other drivers. When an accident is caused by another person’s negligence, injured victims and their families may have the right to pursue compensation.
If you or a family member has been injured because of another driver’s actions, an experienced Houston personal injury attorney can help you understand your legal options.
Why Houston School Zones Can Be Dangerous
Houston is a large metropolitan area with thousands of students traveling to and from schools every weekday. During the beginning and end of the school day, traffic conditions around schools can change dramatically.
Parents may be trying to enter crowded pickup lines. Children may cross streets on foot or bicycles. School buses make frequent stops. Drivers may suddenly brake when traffic backs up near a campus.
The Texas Department of Transportation has identified driver inattention, speeding, and failure to yield as significant contributing factors in school-zone crashes.
Some of the most common causes of accidents around Houston schools include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding through an active school zone
- Failing to stop at a crosswalk
- Failing to yield to pedestrians
- Passing a stopped school bus illegally
- Following another vehicle too closely
- Unsafe turns near school entrances
- Backing out without checking for children
- Using a cellphone while driving
- Driving aggressively through pickup or drop-off traffic
Drivers have a responsibility to remain alert, particularly when traveling in an area where children are likely to be present.
Distracted Driving Is Especially Dangerous Around Schools
A driver looking down at a phone for only a few seconds can travel a significant distance without properly watching the road.
In a school zone, those few seconds can be critical.
Children do not always behave predictably around traffic. A student may unexpectedly step into a crosswalk, run toward a school bus, ride a bicycle into the roadway, or walk between parked vehicles.
Drivers approaching schools should reduce their speed and eliminate distractions before entering the school zone.
When a driver causes an accident while texting, checking social media, reading a message, entering information into a navigation app, or otherwise failing to pay attention, that conduct may become important evidence in a personal injury claim.
Speeding in Houston School Zones
Reduced school zone speed limits exist because slower speeds give drivers more time to react and can reduce the severity of an impact.
A driver traveling too quickly may not have enough time to stop when a child enters a crosswalk or when traffic suddenly backs up during school dismissal.
Speed can also become important when determining negligence after an accident.
Evidence that may help establish a driver’s speed can include:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Traffic camera footage
- Surveillance video
- Vehicle data
- Dashcam recordings
- Photographs from the accident scene
A personal injury attorney can evaluate available evidence and determine what additional information may need to be preserved.
Pedestrian Accidents Near Houston Schools
Children walking to school are among the most vulnerable people on the road.
Unlike occupants of passenger vehicles, pedestrians have no seat belts, airbags, or metal frame protecting them during a collision. Even an accident occurring at relatively low speed can cause significant injuries.
Common pedestrian injuries can include broken bones, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, internal injuries, cuts, and soft-tissue damage.
Parents should seek appropriate medical care following an accident even when an injury does not initially appear severe. Some injuries may become more noticeable hours or days after the incident.
Medical documentation can also become important if an injury claim is later filed.
School Bus Accidents and Injuries
School buses are an essential part of Houston-area transportation, but accidents involving buses can create complicated legal questions.
An accident may involve a school bus passenger, another vehicle, a pedestrian, or a child entering or exiting the bus.
Drivers approaching a school bus should pay particular attention to its warning lights and stop signals. Texas law generally requires motorists to stop when a school bus is displaying flashing red lights or an extended stop sign, subject to certain exceptions involving divided roadways.
A driver who ignores those signals can put children in immediate danger.
School bus cases can also be more complicated than an ordinary two-car accident because determining responsibility may involve multiple individuals or organizations.
Who Could Be Responsible for a Houston School Zone Accident?
Every accident is different.
Depending on how the crash occurred, potentially responsible parties could include a negligent motorist, commercial driver, employer, property owner, contractor, or another party whose conduct contributed to the accident.
For example, a driver who speeds through a school zone and strikes a pedestrian may be held responsible for injuries caused by the collision.
If the at-fault driver was performing job duties at the time, additional questions regarding employer responsibility may need to be investigated.
Claims involving government entities or school-related transportation can present additional procedural and legal issues. These cases should be evaluated individually rather than assuming that the same rules apply to every accident.
What Should Parents Do After a School Zone Accident?
The moments after an accident can be confusing, particularly when a child has been injured.
Your first priority should be safety and medical care.
Call 911 when emergency assistance is needed. If possible, report the collision to law enforcement and obtain information about the responding agency.
Parents should also consider documenting the scene when it is safe to do so. Photographs or video may help preserve information that later disappears.
Useful documentation may include the location of the vehicles, damage to the vehicles, crosswalk markings, traffic signs, school zone signs, skid marks, road conditions, visible injuries, and the surrounding area.
You should also obtain the names and contact information of witnesses when possible.
Avoid arguing with the other driver or making assumptions about who caused the accident at the scene.
Do Not Rush Into an Insurance Settlement
Insurance companies often begin investigating an accident quickly.
An adjuster may request a recorded statement, medical information, photographs, or other documentation. In some situations, an insurance company may make an early settlement offer.
Parents should be cautious about resolving a claim before the full extent of an injury is understood.
An injury that initially appears temporary could require additional treatment, physical therapy, specialist care, or ongoing medical attention.
Accepting a settlement generally ends the claim against the party being released. That makes it important to understand both current and potential future damages before agreeing to resolve the case.
What Compensation May Be Available After an Accident?
The damages available in a Texas personal injury case depend on the facts of the accident and the injuries involved.
A claim may potentially seek compensation for losses such as:
- Emergency medical treatment
- Hospital expenses
- Doctor visits
- Physical therapy
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Reduced ability to earn income
- Pain and suffering
- Physical impairment
- Property damage
- Other accident-related losses
Cases involving serious injuries to children may require careful consideration of how those injuries could affect the child’s future.
No attorney can guarantee a particular settlement or outcome. The value of a personal injury claim depends on factors such as liability, available evidence, insurance coverage, medical treatment, and the severity and long-term effects of the injury.
Evidence Can Disappear Quickly
One reason to investigate a school zone accident promptly is that evidence does not always remain available.
Surveillance cameras at nearby schools, businesses, homes, buses, or traffic intersections may have captured the accident. However, video systems may automatically overwrite recordings after a certain amount of time.
Witnesses may also forget details as time passes.
An attorney can identify potentially important evidence and take appropriate steps to seek its preservation.
Evidence in a school zone accident case may include:
- Police crash reports
- Photographs and videos
- Surveillance footage
- Dashcam footage
- School bus video
- Witness statements
- Vehicle damage
- Cellphone records when legally obtainable
- Medical records
- Expert analysis
- Traffic and roadway information
Building a strong personal injury case frequently begins with understanding exactly how the accident occurred.
Why Legal Representation Can Matter
Personal injury claims are not simply about submitting medical bills to an insurance company.
Determining liability, collecting evidence, documenting damages, communicating with insurers, evaluating settlement offers, and preparing a case for litigation can all become part of the process.
Attorney Lanease D. Fuller has nearly three decades of legal experience representing clients in Houston and throughout Texas.
Families seeking a Houston African American Personal Injury Attorney can learn more about Attorney Fuller’s experience, background, and commitment to representing individuals who need an advocate after an injury.
Having an attorney involved also allows injured individuals and their families to focus more of their attention on medical treatment and recovery while the legal aspects of the claim are addressed.
Back-to-School Safety Starts With Houston Drivers
School zone safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Drivers should slow down before reaching a school, put away their phones, watch carefully for children, obey crossing guards, yield at crosswalks, and remain prepared for sudden stops.
Parents can also remind children to use designated crosswalks, avoid walking while distracted by phones, make eye contact with drivers before crossing, and remain alert around buses and parked vehicles.
A few additional seconds of caution can prevent an accident that changes a family’s life.
Injured in a Houston School Zone Accident?
If you or someone in your family has been injured in a school zone, pedestrian, school bus, or motor vehicle accident caused by another person’s negligence, Lanease D. Fuller Law can review your situation and discuss your legal options.
Attorney Fuller represents personal injury victims in Houston and surrounding communities and is prepared to advocate for clients facing insurance companies and other responsible parties.
Contact Lanease D. Fuller Law to schedule a consultation or call 713-439-7400.
Frequently Asked Questions About Houston School Zone Accidents
Can I file a personal injury claim if my child is hit by a car in a school zone?
Potentially. If another person’s negligent conduct caused the accident and injuries, the circumstances may support a personal injury claim. Liability and available compensation depend on the specific facts of the case.
What if the driver says my child suddenly entered the street?
That does not automatically determine liability. Investigators may need to consider the driver’s speed, attentiveness, location of the impact, crosswalks, traffic controls, witnesses, video footage, and other evidence.
Can a driver be liable for hitting someone in a crosswalk?
Yes, depending on the circumstances. Drivers have duties to obey traffic laws and exercise reasonable care around pedestrians. The facts surrounding the collision will determine whether negligence occurred.
What if a school bus was involved in the accident?
School bus accidents can involve additional legal considerations and potentially different responsible parties. Because these claims can become complicated, families may benefit from having the circumstances reviewed promptly.
Should I speak with the insurance company before hiring an attorney?
You are not required to accept an immediate settlement simply because one is offered. Before making a recorded statement, signing documents, releasing broad medical information, or accepting a settlement, you may want to understand how those actions could affect your claim.
How soon should I contact a personal injury attorney after an accident?
It is generally beneficial to investigate an accident promptly because witnesses, video footage, physical evidence, and other information can become harder to obtain with time.
Lanease D. Fuller Law
4615 S. Frwy St. 820
Houston, TX 77051
713-439-7400